Aerial toy.



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES MORGAN OLMSTED, OF PASADENA, CALIFORNIA.

` A EnIAL rroY.

Bpeoication-of Letters Patent.

Patented May 4, 1915.

Application med October 2, 1909. Serial No. 520,678.

To al] 'ic/1 ont it may concern.

Be it known that I, CimnLns M. OLMsTED, of Pasadena, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Aerial Toys; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descript-ion of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

In Letters latent No. 1,019,078 I have disclosed how to construct the blades of an aerial propeller to obtain maximum power under minimum energy. The idea there present may be employed in a toy or flying top.

The object, therefore, of the present invention is to provide a simple and highly interesting flying top capable of bemg easily set in motion and of risin to a great height or traveling a considerab e distance.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation. Figs. 2 and 3 a re top and bottom plan views of the flying top. Fi g. 4 is an enlarged cross sectional View of the ring or fly-wheel. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing n slight modification. Fig. G shows a device which may be used in projecting the top. Fi 7 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. Sisa section on line 8-8, Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, 1, 1, designate two blades which are shown as united at their inner ends, and 2 is a ring or fiy-wheel to which the blades are secured at their outer ends. This ring, in cross section, is either circular, as shown in Fig. 4, or elliptical, with the major axis of the ellipse perpendicular to the plane of the ring as shown in Fig. 5. This ring or fly wheel is of such a weight that the radius of gyration of the flying part is at least greater than58%, and preferably greater than three fourths (i) of the peripheral radius ofthe flying part.

Each of the blades4 is preferably. made from thin metal and'after-the manner;con templted .by :my above .notedi-aer1eti0 for patent; that is, each .blade is widened near its base; isof concavo-convex forma'-v tioa; han ya helical twistpand-tapere from its widened .porticato its `.outerIf end where itis.unitedjto theeneirclingring or ilywheel. The total width of the blades gradually increases from the base toward the periphery until .a maximum is reached at a distance from the axis where the pitch angle of eaeh blade is not less than forty-five grecs, and then gradually decreases from this point outward. In other words, each blade has a widened portion 3 of concavoeonvex formation in addition to a helical twist, although it may be flat and twisted helically as pointed out in my above noted application for patent, and this widened iorton, which is bent so as to begin to coincide with the helix as near to the axis as is practical, gradually increases in width until it attains a maximum width where the pitch angle is about forty-five degrees or more. From this point the blades are gradually lessened in width, with the result that more than one-half the blade surface lies within a circle concentric with the fly wheel and having approximately onehalf its diameter. Each blade is shown as being concaved on its underside, and the depth of the, concavityat any point is equal to about one-fifteenth of the Width of the blade over most of its extent, but this depth is proportionately greater near the axis of the propeller where some of the blade has been cut away to make room for a. spinning spool. Theoretically thepitch should be the same throughout the whole blade'and the width of the blades should everywhere be determined by the equations set forth in the aforesaid application for atent, but for certain practical reasons, suc as stampin the propeller out of one piece of metal, and the necessity of leaving spacefor the centering hole and spinning tool, the purely theoretical case may be departed from more or less near the axis without ap reciably lesscnin the eflicicncy of the bla e. Further re erence to the rules which attain in forming the blades is unnecessary in this case.

I have shown the widest portions of the blades intersecting the plane of the fly-wheel and extending some distance below such planes, and while I have found this highly advantageous, yet the linvention is not to be restricted in thisrespect. f 'Better results areA secured however,l y-having the ywheell lconsiderablyy heavier than the blades and the Widest portlonsof the latter intersecting the'lplanc'of theftly-wheel, but if the describedmanner of forming the blades be observed it is not necessary that their widest ortions should intersect the plane of the y-wlieel.

ln the drawings I have shown but two blades, but iiiiy desired iniinber may be used.

.\t the axis of the top I have formed an opening Jf to receive a centering and directing pin of any suitable means for setting the top in motion by revolving it on its axis. While various means muy be employed for this purpose, -I have found that shown to lie highly advantageous. It emhodies a handle from which extends a rod or centering pin (l whereon is mounted a spool 'i' carrying at its outer end two pins 8 which are designed to engage opposite edges of the blades when the top is located on the spool with the centering pin extended through its opening. 'llie spool is readily tui-ned by the nnwinding ol. a cord t), und as the top attains the necessary velocity it will lli' from the spool and being directed by the position of rod (i will rise in to the air to a heigilit of 25() feet oi' more. If the projecting tevice be held perpeiidicularly the top will usually rise on a straight line, and likewise if the handle be inclined the line of travel will be oblique.

The manner in which the cord is unwoiind from the spool is immaterial, but best results are obtained by observing the arrangement shown. Preferably a loop 10 is formed in the free end of the cord and caused to engage a hook 12 prejeetin from the lower end of the handle, and tie unwinding of the cord is facilitated by the einployiiient of a hooked lin'fei- )ieee 13. The cord may be of any siiita le ength, and if desired may be passed under the foot of the operator so that by pressing his leg downwardly foot power may be used to unwind the cord from the spool. By means of the hook l. and the finger piece 13 the speed of the hand is reduced. to one-half for a given speed of iinwindin the cord, and at the sinne time thev stationary hand is relieved of the twist which it gets when the cord is simply pulled on a straight line in the known way. The method employed for projecting the toy may be variei at pleasure.

The superior flying qualities of the toy are due to a correct proiortioning of the weight and diameter of t e ring, acting as a fly-wheel, combined with the correct ro portioning and shaping of the blades. he weight and diameter of the ring are calculated en the assumption that the erson spinningthe top is capable of imparting 40 ft. lbs. of energy thereto, the velocity of rotation being taken as the square root of the', mean square of all velocities experiefnced when the top is iven 40 ft. lbs. of energy at the start, an tli'e pitch of the blades is preferably about ene-third of the circumference of the ring. The value taken for the pitch is more or less arbitrary and depends upon whether extreme height er extieme length of duration of flight is desired. The stated valiie-one-third the circumference-gives the extreme height when the cross section of the ring is circular.

lVhile I have described and shown in the drawings the best means of obtaining the most desirable results, yet I do not confine myself to exact formations, since changes may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

'1. An aerial toy comprising a ring formin" a fly-wheel, and a plurality of helicoidall twisted blades radiating from the axis of the rino' and secured to the latter at1 their oiitei' en( s, each blade gradually 111-' creasing in width from its base and bent or curved transversely, the maximum width being coextensive with a pitch not less than 45, from which point each blade is graduiilly decreased in width to its outer ends.

t2. An aerial toy comprising a ring forminr a. {ly-wheel, and a plurality of helicoidall twisted blades radiatin from the axis o the ring and secured te t ie latter at their outer en( s, each 'blade being of cencuvo convex formation for a portion or all of its length and of increased width near its base, more than half of the blade surface being within a circle concentric with the ily wheel ring and having approximately half its diameter.

3. An aerial toy comprising a ring formiii a fly-wheel, and a plurality of helicoidall twisted blades radiatine` from the axis o the ring and secured to tie latter at their outer en( s, each blade gradually increasing in width from its base and concaved on its underside for a portion or all of its length, the maximum width being coextensive with a pitch of about 45 or more from which peint eacli'blade is gradually lecreased in width to the periphery of the 4. An aerial toy comprising a ring formin a fly-wheel, and a.' plurality of helicoidallv twisted blades radiating from the axis oi the ring and secured to the latter at their outer ends, the weight of the ilywlieel being reater than that ofthe blades, said blades icing bent. or curved and concaved on their undersides and of radually increasing width from the axis o the ring to a point coextensive with a pitch of about 1s one half as great as the extreme. radius of the flying part, said blades being wei hted at their outer ends, and being twiste so that the pitch angle of the wide bases is at least twice as great as the pitch angle of the narrow tips.

6. An aerial toy comprisin a plurality of helicoidally twisted bla es radiating from a center and weighted at their outer ends, each blade being of concavo-convex formation for a portion or all of its length and of increased width near its base, more than half of the blade surface being within a circle concentric with the radiating blades and having a diameter half as reat as the diameter of the circle describe b the extreme tips of the blades when tlie toy is spinning. v

Uopios ot this patent may be obtained for CHARLES MORGAN OLMSTED.

` Witnesses:

JUAN R. GOMEZ, JAMES C. MORGAN.

tvs couts elch, by addressing the Commissioner ot Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

